Users of convergence enabled end-user devices (e.g., cellular phones, smart phones, laptops, PDAs, WiFi/WiMax integrated phones/devices, among others) select service providers based on many factors, including costs, type of services provided, and quality of such services, user friendliness, among other considerations. Due to the rapid proliferation of the wireless and wireline internet using various access technologies such as CDMA, 3G1X, EVDO, WiMAX, WiFi, Cable/DSL, etc., it is becoming increasingly important for service providers to accurately measure the communication performance between two users, between user and the Application servers, and ensure high end-to-end IP data network performance. Service providers need to monitor various performance parameters that may be associated with network disruptions, such as latency/delays above permissible thresholds, high jitter, low power, high signal interference, packet loss, network congestion, node and link failures, down access links, poor quality access, routing costs that impact end-user service expectations, availability of alternative service providers perceived by the end-users as being better, among other network measurement criteria.
Further, mere monitoring of network conditions (e.g., congestion, packet loss, among others) does not provide any real-time corrective action across the network for an end-user suffering from poor or low quality network conditions. Moreover, there are currently no satisfactory real-time techniques to monitor end-to-end performance of the network, as well as provide real-time connectivity changes at the convergence enabled end-user device, nodes, links, and network facilities.